VD Satheesan keeps finance, law, Chennithala takes charge of Home in Kerala cabinet

KErala chief government minister VD Satheesan on wed distributed portfolios among the Congress-led United popular look (UDF) locker ministers, keeping finance and law along with 36 other departments with himself, and allotting home, vigilance and three other departments to senior party leader Ramesh Chennithala.Following the approval from Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, the portfolios of all 21 ministers, were circulated via a gazette notification, as per which Satheesan will also head the general administration department and handle all important policy matters and subjects not mentioned elsewhere.State Congress chief Sunny Joseph will be the new minister for electricity, environment and parliamentary affairs while his party colleague K Muraleedharan will head eight departments, including health, medical education and Devaswoms (temple affairs), the notification said.The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second largest partner in UDF cabinet with five ministers, got significant number of portfolios. Its leader PK Kunhalikutty will head departments of industries and commerce, information technology, artificial intelligence (AI), startups, mining and geology, and handlooms and textiles, the notification said.Also Read: Kerala govt scraps 'Silverline' high-speed rail project launched by LDF. Here's whyAmong other Congress ministers, Roji M John is the higher education minister, AP Anil Kumar will head land and revenue, PC Vishnunadh has been given charge of tourism, culture and three other departments, M Liju got cooperation and excise, T Siddique will heald agriculture and three other departments, while KA Thulasi is the minister of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and backward classes development.Congress legislator Bindu Krishna was given charge of six departments, including labour and animal husbandry, while party leader OJ Janeesh will head seven departments that include sports, youth affairs, registration and zoos, the Lok Bhavan said.Among the other IUML ministers, N Shamsudheen will be the general education minister, VE Abdul Gafoor will take charge of the fisheries department, PK Basheer will helm public works department, and KM Shaji got the charge of local self government authorities, the notification said.Also Read: ‘Shouldn’t I remember my father?’: Kerala CM VD Satheesan amid ‘Menon’ surname rowAmong the other alliance partners, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) MLA Shibu Baby John will be forests, wildlife and skill development minister, Kerala Congress (Joseph) leader Mon Joseph will handle irrigation, ground water, water supply and sanitation, and housing departments, while Kerala Congress (Jacob) MLA Anoop Jacob will head the food and civil supplies department. The road and water transport departments will be headed by Communist Marxist Party (CMP)’s CP John.Talking to reporters later in the day, Satheesan rejected reports of any delay in deciding the portfolios, claiming that all disagreements about allocation of departments were solved on Monday itself. He said the list of portfolios was ready by Monday night after the swearing-in ceremony, but the Governor did not return to the state capital till Tuesday night as he had gone to Thrissur.“On Wednesday morning, we gave the list to the Governor. So, where was the delay? All disagreements ended by Monday night. Usually, 48 hours is taken after the swearing-in to finalise the list of portfolios. This time it was done by Monday night,” Satheesan said.On May 18, Satheesan, along with his 20 cabinet ministers took oath of the office in Thiruvananthapuram, days after the Congress-led UDF swept the April 9 Kerala assembly polls, winning 102 of the state’s 140 seats. The LDF won 35 seats, while the BJP won the remaining three seats.(With PTI inputs)